Shifts in Leading Staff

My generation been consumed with "leadership" and all the great books that have been published. I even published a book on leadership back in 2007. I believe that leadership is vitally important. I believe that we should learn how to grow as leaders. But we are in a huge transition and shift with leadership styles. There are some very important principles to leading staff, whether volunteer or paid, that go overlooked. Our generation is full of hurting and insecure people. Because of this truth, our approach must shift in order to see staff grow to their fullest potential.

Here are a few of my thoughts:

1. They Need to be Lavished with Encouragement:
-Go overboard. Text it. Post it. Tweet it. Send cards. Never assume they know. Remember, "What you fail to celebrate will leave your life."

2. They Need Permission to Lead without Fear of Failure:
-Because we are trying to build these "perfect" ministries, we don't allow staff the permission to attempt and.....fail. We scold and punish this because elder boards don't want to "waste" money. I don't know of any idea that works perfectly the first time. If it did, then it was TOO safe.

3. They Need Authentic Relationships:
-Staff need to have a real relationship with you. A virus spreads by proximity. Whatever you are trying to accomplish cannot be done at arms length.

4. They Need a Cheerleader and a Coach, not a General Manager:
-We usually think that staff need a General Manager or Coach. Not really. Put on your Pom poms and do some cheering. They need to be encouraged and constantly reminded that they are making a difference.